Solar Panel Efficiency

Solar Panel Efficiency Explained

With the rising costs of energy and the impact traditional fuel resources are having on the world, more and more people are choosing to have solar panels fitted at their homes and work.

Solar panels are proving to be an efficient and effective way to provide our homes with energy generated from the sun. They reduce our use of traditional energy consumption and save us money. What isn’t there to love?

With the increasing popularity of solar panels, do you fully understand how far solar efficiency has evolved? Can we save money by having them installed? Overall how beneficial can solar panels be?

How do solar panels work?

Solar panels provide us with clean, renewable energy from a source with an unlimited supply (the Sun).

Throughout the day the cells on your solar panel absorb the energy from the sunlight. These cells have circuits within them which collect that energy and turn it into electricity.

It travels through the circuits and through a converter which changes it to an AC voltage (the supply we use in our homes).

Why Go Solar?

The technology in solar panels is advancing year on year. These advances mean we now get more bang for our buck than ever when it comes to having solar panels installed.

Some of the ways we can benefit from solar panels are;

Save money on electricity bills

The main reason people opt for solar panels is the savings on electricity usage. Solar panels reduce and can even eliminate your electricity bill.

On average if your electricity bill is around $80 a month, it works out to just under $1000 yearly. Extend that to the life span of a solar panel which is around twenty years, and you have paid out $20,000 into your electricity companies’ pocket, and that isn’t even considering price increases.

Electricity isn’t getting any cheaper and more than likely we will see more price hikes over the next decade.

Solar panels are an asset, not a liability

Another great thing about solar panels is that they become an asset once they have paid themselves off. The money you save in the reduction of your utility bill is usually enough for the solar panels to pay themselves of within 5 – 7 years.

Once they have been paid off, they are essentially providing you with energy at a reduced rate and will continue to save you money for however long they are installed.

Protect the environment

Did you know that 31%,the largest share of total greenhouse gas emissions comes from electricity generation (power Plants?).

With all that is going on in the world, it feels rewarding to do our little bit for the environment. Going green is a noble choice, and all around us, we see people walking a little more instead of taking the car.

Companies are using less plastic to protect the oceans, and offices are going paper free. When at home we make sure to turn off all our switches at night and makes sure we don’t use excessive lights around the house.

According to University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems, the average two-person household produces 8 metric tonnes of carbon pollution each year.

With solar power, a small household could reduce its carbon footprint by three to four tons annually.

Talk about solar efficiency!

How durable are solar panels?

When you first think about having solar panels installed, you probably wonder about repairs and maintenance costs before anything. After all the benefits of solar panels, there has to be something on the negative side?

Well, you would be wrong. Solar panels are built to be extremely durable, and the average lifespan is around 25 years. Most individual parts will also come with an extended warranty.

The solar cells are made of tempered glass. They will withstand hail and falling branches, and they have very limited, if any, moving parts.

The warranty you get from your installer will explain what is covered.